1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of optical networking.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to serve the increasing bandwidth requirements demanded by modern communication applications, high-speed communications networks have been developed. The advent of certain technological advances, the movement from centralized systems to distributed computing, and worldwide standardization efforts, among other things, have led to the availability of high performance digital communications networks.
One such network is defined by a group of standards referred to as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). ATM technology and protocols allow for the integrated transmission of voice, data and video traffic simultaneously over high bandwidth circuits at speeds from T1 to OC-48 (2.5 Gbps). Communication using ATM is accomplished through the switching and routing of packets of data referred to as cells, and a cell is a fixed-size packet of data. ATM networks are often used to provide high speed Internet access.
One particular type of ATM network makes use of optical waveguides in place of electrical conductors to carry the signals. Though most optical networks switch to electrical conductor transmission at the termination points, it would be beneficial from both a speed and a bandwidth perspective to provide entirely optical networks. While optical networks have become common in long-haul and metro area networking, they have not yet fully penetrated the local access portion of the network architecture. A particular example of a more local network is the PON (Passive Optical Networking) network. In this regard, the industry is working on the problems of providing so-called fiber to the premises (FTTP) networks. FTTP networks, and in particular, point to multipoint FTTP networks are generally quite complex and the standards governing them require a number of addressing rules to be applied by service providers that install and maintain them. Thus, the inventors have determined that an automated system of handling numbering for ATM interfaces can find use in current and upcoming generations of optical networks.